humid hazy goiânia: a budget student's scribbled notes

i'm in goiânia, and it's one of those days where the air feels like a wet blanket. i just checked my weather app - it's 21.88°c but feels like 22.03°c, humidity 73%, pressure 1014 hpa. what does that even mean? it means my hair is a frizzy mess and i'm sweating just sitting here. hope you're into that vibe.

i arrived yesterday from brasília on a cheap bus. the ride was 40 reais, which is a steal for three hours. the bus station here is a zoo - people everywhere, vendors selling everything from peanuts to phone chargers. someone told me to be careful with pickpockets, but i heard from a local that the real issue is the unofficial taxis that charge triple. i read on Yelp that the app-based taxis are safer, but i'm on a budget, so i walk.

i'm staying at 'hostel central' which i found on TripAdvisor. it's 25 reais per night, dorm bed. the sheets are thin, the bathroom is shared, but the location is perfect - near the praça tic-tac. the guy at reception, carlos, said the best cheap food is at 'lanchonete do mano', but i saw on a local board Goiânia Dicas that it's closed for renovations. so i went to 'bar do zé' instead, had a pastel for 6 reais. not bad.

today i explored downtown. the architecture is this bizarre mix. there's this futuristic building from the 60s next to colonial churches. i saw graffiti that said '3461194' on a wall near the university. maybe it's a student prank or a code for something. i called the number 1076130930 from a payphone out of curiosity, but it was just a busy signal. probably a prank.

the weather is consistently 21.88°c all day. no sun, just overcast and humid. it's like the city is under a dome of lukewarm air. i hear that in summer it gets up to 35°c, so this is mild, but the humidity kills it. pressure 1014, sea level 1014, ground level 921 - i have no idea what ground level means, but it sounds like the city is sinking. just kidding.

if you get bored, anápolis is an hour away by bus. it's known for its car industry, but i heard there's a cool old train station that's now a cultural center. also, brasília is only two hours away, and you can see all those oscar niemeyer buildings. but brasília is expensive, so i'm sticking to goiânia.

for eats, i've been surviving on pastéis and coxinha from street vendors. 3-5 reais each. i read on Yelp that the best pastel is at 'pastelaria são paulo', so i went. the line was long, but it was good. the vendor told me the dough is made with a secret ingredient, but i think it's just flour and water.

i also met this other traveler, jess from pernambuco, who's doing a similar budget trip. she said she heard that the best view of the city is from the top of the tv tower, but it costs 10 reais to go up. i saved the money and climbed a parking garage instead. the view was okay, and it was free.

overheard at the hostel: someone said that the nightlife is crazy on weekends at 'boteco do joão', but i heard from a local that it's overpriced and full of tourists. so i skipped it. i'm more into finding hidden bars. i have this number 3461194 from a flyer for a 'speakeasy', but when i went to the address, it was a laundromat. maybe i misread.

oh, and the humidity. 73% means everything feels damp. my clothes never dry, my backpack smells like mildew. it's a vibe, for sure. i'm drinking tons of water, but it's like spitting in the ocean.

for more budget tips, check out mochileiro.org which has a forum for brazillian hostels.

i've been in goiânia for three days now, and it's growing on me. the humidity is oppressive, but there's a charm to the chaos. the traffic is nuts, but people are friendly. i was trying to find the bus to the market, and this lady on the street gave me directions in rapid portuguese. i only caught every other word, but i got there. the market is overwhelming - stalls selling everything from acai to auto parts. i bought a hand-woven hammock for 20 reais, which i hope to use in my future travels.

the weather is static, as i mentioned. it's like the city is under a dome of lukewarm air. i checked multiple times: temp 21.88, feels_like 22.03, humidity 73%. it's consistent. i wonder if the weather station is broken. but the locals don't seem to notice - they're just going about their day in shorts and flip-flops. i, on the other hand, am constantly wiping my brow.

for budget eats: eat at lunch counters where locals eat. the plate of the day (prato do dia) is usually 8-12 reais and includes rice, beans, meat, and salad. i found one called 'restaurante popular' near the bus station. it's no-frills, but the food is home-cooked. i ate there twice. the waiter told me the secret is in the beans, but i think it's just the atmosphere.

i also discovered that the city has a free bike share system, but i heard it's a scam because you need to pay a deposit. so i walk everywhere. which is fine, goiânia is spread out, but the sidewalks are cracked and holes everywhere. watch your step.

remember those numbers 3461194 and 1076130930? i finally figured out what they are. 3461194 is the bus fare for the intercity line to anápolis, and 1076130930 is the customer service number for the bike share that doesn't work. i called 1076130930 and after ten minutes of hold music, a guy said they're out of bikes. typical.

if you have time, check out the museu pedro ludovico for free on wednesdays. it's about the history of goiás. i went, and it was empty, so i had the whole place to myself. the guard told me about a hidden room, but i think he was joking.

for nightlife, i'm told the area around praça do rato is lively, but i'm usually asleep by 10 pm because i'm a tired student. but i heard from a group of backpackers that there's this underground club in a basement that you need a code to enter. the code is 3461194, but when i tried, the bouncer said it's last year's code. so i just went to a bar and had a caipirinha for 8 reais.

that's all i can think of for now. i hope this helps if you're planning a trip to goiânia. it's not paris, but it's real, and it's cheap, and the humidity will remind you that you're alive.

the city is spread out, but here's a map to give you an idea:

i took some pics (okay, i stole them from unsplash since my phone died):

i'm going to find that bar with the number 1076130930, or just sleep. the weather app says it's still 21.88°c, but it feels like 22.03 - hope you're enjoying your own weather wherever you are.

humid hazy goiânia: a budget student's scribbled notes

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